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Energy Tomorrow is brought to you by the American Petroleum Institute (API), which is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America's oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 500 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry. They are producers, refiners, suppliers, pipeline operators and marine transporters, as well as service and supply companies that support all segments of the industry.

As the Trump administration weighs opening the Mid-Atlantic outer continental shelf to future oil and natural gas development, a number of people who work and live in coastal areas appropriately question whether offshore energy can be developed safely, without undue risks. The answer is yes.

Here on the blog we regularly point to the national economic and job impacts of energy development: 9.8 million jobs supported, and $1.2 trillion in value added to the economy – accounting for 8 percent of our national GDP. Over the next few weeks we want to bring the focus to the state level, highlighting those impacts in each of the 50 states. We’ll start with … Virginia.

The top-line numbers: more than 141,000 jobs supported statewide, according to PwC ; $12.5 billion added to the state economy; $7.2 billion contributed to the state’s labor income. All are significant drivers for the state’s economy.

Time: As the battle wages on in Congress over President Barack Obama’s signature trade agreements and the needed fast-track trade promotion authority (TPA), the president would be wise to consider alternatives that would enhance his trade legacy and also further our strategic priorities overseas. While energy is not included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) or Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations, many of the same Asian, European, and Latin American partners are calling for greater partnership with the United States on energy issues. By allowing the U.S. to become a stable source of supply to global energy markets, counteracting supply disruptions that will inevitably affect other energy-rich regions, President Obama and Congress can double down on promoting long-term economic growth and reinforcing U.S. foreign policy leadership.

The U.S. can do more with its energy resources to support this strategic vision. A direct way of leveraging this opportunity is to lift the ban on the export of crude oil and accelerate approvals for the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG). A series of policies and laws in the 1970s banned exports of U.S. crude oil with only limited exceptions. This ban is a relic from an age of energy scarcity and should be adjusted to reflect present realities. By working with Congress, and via executive order, the president can start taking steps today to boost U.S. exports.

Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) Editorial: With thoughtful planning and focused leadership, Virginia could be a titan of production and one the most important states for energy on the East Coast. Our natural resources have the commonwealth poised to be a national leader in energy, and properly utilizing them could create thousands of jobs and generate billions in revenue.

It is challenging to strike a balance between traditional energy sources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, and emerging renewables like wind and biomass. The Virginia Energy Plan, updated every four years by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, serves as a guide.

Virginia is for lovers – of domestic oil and natural gas production and investments in energy infrastructure. That’s what you see in a recent Harris Poll of registered voters in the commonwealth: Strong support for developing domestic oil and natural gas, including offshore reserves, as well as increased spending on infrastructure.

Some of the numbers:

80 percent support increased production of domestic oil and natural gas reserves. Just 11 percent oppose.

89 percent support increased development of U.S. energy infrastructure.

Despite the administration's decision to ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic for at least seven years, many Virginia residents continue to look forward to the time when their portion of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) can produce energy as well as bring jobs and revenues to the Commonwealth.

Interest is rising in a relatively new natural gas discovery called the Utica Shale. It lies beneath the Marcellus Shale and stretches from Canada's Quebec Province through Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, western Virginia and into West Virginia.

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Energy Tomorrow is a project of the American Petroleum Institute – the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry – speaking for the industry to the public, Congress and the Executive Branch, state governments and the media.